Condenser



C. A. WETTENGEL. CONDENSER.

N FILED MAR APPLICAT 4,1918. EAQQQ 1%. PatentedSept. 12, 1922.

' IN VEN TOR.

Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

; UNITED STATES 1,429,214 PAT'Er Jor CHARLES ALBERT WETTENGEL, or sr. LoUIsiviIsso-Um, ASSIGNORTO .zinnmorin ZINC, LEAD & SMELTING COMPANY, or sr. LOUIS, mxssonnryn CORPORATION 'OFMAINE. I

oonnnnsirn.

Application filed March 4, 1918'. Se'rialNo. 220,389.

1 '0 all whom it may concern: 1' Be it known that I, CHARLES ALBERT lYr'rrnNcnL, a citizen of the United-States, residing at the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Condenser, of which the following is a. specification. This invention relates to condensers of the type, adapted for use for redistilling spelter or galvanizers zinc drosses. v The ordinary grade of zinc contains percentage of impurities, principally lead and iron. Thisgrade of zinc is not suitable for use for many purposes for which pure zinc is used, as, forinstance, for brass for spinning and'deep drawing, since zinc forthese purposes must contain a very small percentage of impurities, probably less than one-fourth of one'per cent.

The present invention relates to the art of redistilling'zinc to separate the zinc from other. metals. The process of redistilling is really a fractional distillation which separates the zinc from other metals having higher boiling points. Metallic zinc boils at about-925 (1., and the vapor can be condensedinto metallicv zinc by maintaining the proper conditions for that're'sult. Ordinary zinc which contains lead and iron as impurities is used as-a starting point. The zinc is volatilized in a retort from which the zinc'vapor passes off into thecondenser and is condensed. as approximately pure highgrade zinc, The lead and iron do not vaporize at as low a temperature as the zinc and they remain in the retort. The quantity of lead and iron is relativelysmall and it is desirablenot to open th'eretort by remov ing the condenser for the purpose of putting into each retort a fresh supply of zinc, bea cause of the large loss of zinc due to oxidiza tion. Hence, if the condenser is placed and the joint between it and the retort sealed it is desirable to leave it as long as possible; and in the use of my invention the procedure is to supply zinc, replacing the evaporation by zinc bars which are inserted through an opening provided for that'purpose in the outer end of the condenser and passed into the retort.

An object of my present invention is to provide a condenser of novel and eflicient construction for redistilling zinc in accordance with the practice above explained.

Another object is toprovide an improved condenser of the character mentioned in which the cold zincmay be. introduced in small quantities. and at frequent intervals in order not to chill thebath of moltenzinc in the retort without the necessity 'ofyfirst drawing'the melte'dmetal from thecondenser. 1

Numerous advantages of myinventionwill be apparent from'the detailed description of-an embodiment thereof as'illustrated in the accompanying drawingyin [which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View illustrating my invention 1I1"COI1I1Q0l 10I 1'-W1tl1 '1 a furnace. i

' F1g."21s an endelevation.

As shownin thedrawing my improved condenser is embodied in a 'zinc' smelting furnace constructed to 'su pport the'inne'r ends'of the retorts: below that Open ends thereof." 1

The retorts 1 are supported iii-"inclinedpositions, being preferably of cylindrical,

form and havingftheir inner lower ends closed by integral end walls." The retorts are oftheusual ceramic; material and. are adapted 'to receive the zincbars which are melted with the result that-the "zinc vapor passes into the condenser, leaving. as deposits in the retort the impurities which have a higher boiling point than thefzin'c.

The upper ends of the'retorts 1*areopen and receive thesmaller ends ofth'e'taper-fl ing condensers 2. The upperwalls ofthe condensers" within the open ends of'the' re torts form shoulders orofi'setsbelow the surfaces of the upper walls ofthe" retorts.

The joint around the condenser at its connection with .theretort" is sealed as indi cated at 3 to prevent any loss of the zinc vapor by leakage. The inner tapered end of each condenser is provided with a bridge or dam .4 which may be formed integrally with the condenser, or cemented in position, as desired.

The 'outer end of the condenser is provided with a wall 5 having an'opening 6 through which the zinc bars may be inserted and passed over the bridge or dam into the retort. Thewall 5 is also provided with an opening 7 at the lower side of the condenser for the purpose of withdrawing the molten zinc. lVhen the condenser is in use the openings are closed or sealed in an appropriate manner as, for instance, by a mixture forming a loam or stufling which, while in a plastic condition may be inserted in the openings, and which when dried is frangible and has sufficient strength to withstand the pressure of the molten zinc but which may condenser; or, said openings may be closed by removable plugs 8 of ceramic or other appropriate material.

In operation the zinc is volatilized in the retorts land passes into the condensers 2 in which condensation takes place principally on the inner surface ofthe condensers not covered by the molten zinc. In the use of condensers of the type heretofore usually employed the rapid reduction of surface as the condenser accumulated a stock of molten zinc frequently resulted in explosions, because the generation of the zinc vapor continued at the same rate and the smaller surface in the condenser was unable to condense the vapor as fast as generated, resulting in accumulation of pressure that would cause an explosion. In using condensers of that old construction it was impossible to charge the retort without drawing the molten metal previous to each charge. The operation of drawing the molten metal from such con-v denser-s is laborious and requires skill, so that by producing a condenser which requires less frequent drawing of the molten metal, considerable advantage is gained in the saving af labor; although in any instance the drawingmust be frequent enough to prevent dangerous explosive pressure within the retort and the condenser.

My improved condenser is of such size that it will hold a greater quantity of molten zinc and still have an ample surface exposed for the condensation of the zincvapors produced, and the provision of the two openings 6 and 7 in the forward wall of the condenser permits the molten zinc to be Withdrawn through one end and the other opening'to be used for supplying the cold zinc bars'into the retort for redistillin The placing of the opening 6 atthe top enables the bars to be fed into the retort with out first drawing the metal from the condenser. These advantages are obtained by making a condenser much larger size than the ordinary condenser and providing the two openings at the exposed end, the openreadily be broken out without breaking the,

ing 7 serving for the withdrawal of the molten zinc and the opening 6 serving as a passage through which the zinc bars may be passed into the retort over the bridge I.

I claim: LA tapering-condenser having a fixed head provided at its larger end with an opening for withdrawing themolten metal,

and another opening at its larger end through which the zinc bars may be passed into the retort.

2' A condenserhaving a fixed head provided withan opening for withdrawing the molten metal, and another opening through which the zinc bars may be passed into the retort; and a bridge or dam across the inner end of the condenser-at the-lower side thereof. 7 Y a a a 3. A'condenser having a bottom wall inclined downwardly and outwardly; a fixed head at the outer end of the inclined Wall provided with a pluralityof openings; and a bridge or dam across the inner end of the condenser at the lower side thereof.

i. A condenser having a fixedhe-ad provided with a series of openings at its .drawing end.- i i 5. A- condenser-constructed of ceramic materialhaving' at itsretort end an integral bridge, and having its upper wall out of alineinentwith' the upper Wall of the retort, and having an integral head at its drawingend, there being chargingand drawing openings formed in said head; and a ceramic closure forsaid drawing opening.

:6. In combination with ;a retort, a condenser having at its retort end a fixed bridge and outof alinementiwith the wall of the retort, and said condenser havingafixed head at its drawing end and provided with a drawing opening and a chargingopening. CHARLES ALBERTIIWETTENGEL. 

